The arts are fundamental to our humanity. They ennoble and inspire us—fostering creativity, goodness, and beauty. The arts bring us joy, help us express our values, and build bridges between cultures. The arts also are a fundamental component of healthy communities, strengthening them socially, educationally, and economically—benefits that persist even in difficult social and economic times. 

— The Arts Blog

Arts organizations are increasingly being recognized as both economic engines and the glue that holds communities together. This isn’t just true of the big museums that pull in global tourists—small nonprofits can make an outside impact in their neighborhoods, with studies showing they are linked with improved health, safety, and education.

— Artsy May 2018

The NAA, in collaboration with The Hemphill Family Foundation and the Massachusetts College of Art & Design, offers a very special opportunity – an annual residential scholarship for the Summer Studio program at MassArt. Rising high school juniors and seniors attending the Amesbury, Ipswich, Newburyport, Pentucket, or Triton High Schools are eligible to apply. Look for applications and more details early each calendar year in your school’s guidance office.

In addition, each year the NAA awards the Ruthanne Arbeit Memorial Scholarship to a Newburyport High School student; the Sam Sargent Scholarship, the Laura Coombs Hills Scholarship, the Hemphill Family Foundation Scholarship, the Susan Keller Scholarship, and the recently announced Ron Emmerling Scholarship. Graduating seniors planning to pursue art, art education, and/or arts management are eligible to apply. Application guidelines are available in the guidance offices. Students from the Amesbury, Ipswich, Newburyport, Pentucket, and Triton districts are welcome to apply.

If you can dream it, we will help to make it come true. Here, artist Lee Gordon, the 2016 winner working on a new glass masterpiece.

Donald and Kim Jurney established the Donald & Kim Traveling Fellowship in 2016 under the wing, and with the guidance, of the Newburyport Art Association.This fellowship will provide an annual opportunity for a traditional painter to travel, work and study in Europe.

OpArt, a partnership between Opportunity Works and The Newburyport Art Association encourages adults with a variety of developmental and physical disabilities to enrich their lives through the art making process.

A full house at Amesbury Middle School with Wire By Ryan - ArtLink

NAA artist members support the ArtLink program by offering in school or after school workshops for students of all ages in collaboration with school art faculty.

The NAA sponsors a Young & Budding Artists Show each year (March), please look for the Call for Entry on the NAA homepage or exhibition page. Students in Grade 1 through 12 are welcome to participare; one piece per student will be accepted. A generous awards program has been made possible by individual and institutional donors.

Yankee Homecoming 2018

Poetry & Art

Celebrating 70 Years

Event Space

Annual Party & Auction

Thursday Book Club

Artlink 2018

Sculpture Garden Opening

Summer Market Square

Artist Demos & Talks

Free Public Art Openings

Art Meets Fashion

The NAA is an open art association and provides three non-juried exhibitions opportunities for all artist members during the year. One of our most popular is the 8x8 held each August.

Several years ago NAA members had a vision, chief among them Al Moskowitz and Skip Motes, to create a community sculpture garden. The Range Lights Sculpture Garden was unveiled September 2016. Here, looking out our back windows, we were pleased to see an art appreciation group visiting from New York enjoying the space and art. The garden is now connected to the rail trail.

Community Sculpture Garden

The NAA 2018 #GivingTuesday fundraiser will support our ArtLink program - boosting the arts and arts curricula in area schools. By donating to the NAA on November 27 you will help to ensure that art education thrives in our community and is accessible for young people. The Watercolor Hearts image is from the Brownie Troops 72010 and 62933, participants in the 2018 Young & Budding Artists Show.In the coming days we are going to share with you here recent reflections from our Board of Directors as to why they are committed to the NAA's #GTcampaign & we start off today with Nicole Nadeau, NAA Board President.

"The NAA is home to artists and non-artists, residents and visitors alike, who become members and support this community because we appreciate all that a vital art organization brings to the quality of life in the community it serves. I choose to participate in Giving Tuesday because I see myself in the NAA story and consider myself a part of it--as member, volunteer, and donor."Nicole Nadeau